Dept to recruit more than 300 doctors soon, says health minister

The officials of health department had to wait for around two hours, as health minister Surjit Kumar Jyani reached late at Circuit House on Friday. The senior medical officers, district health officers, drug inspectors and food safety officers were seen waiting since morning.

On the other hand, visitors or patients who came to meet these doctors at Ludhiana civil surgeon's office or civil hospital returned without meeting them, as these officials were on duty at circuit house.

An official of Ludhiana health department, requesting anonymity, said, “While some of the doctors were deputed for a general medical camp organised on the occasion of birthday of a political leader, others were called for a meeting with the health minister. Many patients could not meet the specialist doctors. There is already a shortage of doctors at the government hospitals.”

Jyani was supposed to reach there by 11:30am to meet the health officials, but he reached around 1:30pm. Later, on being asked that the government hospitals were facing shortage of doctors, Jyani said, “We will recruit more than 300 doctors soon, adding that other remaining posts will be filled within a year. There will be no shortage of doctors after one year.”

Health minister also directed the doctors to prescribe only generic medicines available inside the hospitals; otherwise they should prescribe only salt names if medicine is not available at the hospital.

When asked that patients don't get medicines at the civil hospital's Jan Aushadi Centre, he said they would look into the matter of availability of medicines.

Before attending the meetings with health officials from various districts, he said, “I have directed the officials to continue their drive against adulteration. We will focus on various 'Melas' and conduct food sampling raids for the welfare of people.”

On being asked about the achievements of health department, after he joined as health minister, Jyani said, “We busted the drug mafia here and cancelled five licences of drug stores in the city. These stores were illegally selling medicines. He said the teams will conduct more raids to check illegal sale of drugs.”

The department has recently cancelled the licences of five city medical halls - Nishan Medical Hall, Fateh Medicos, Navy Medicine Centre, National Drug House and BG Pharma.

Protest against district health officer

The members of Nav Sanjeevani Foundation staged protest by burning the effigy of district health officer Dr Abnash Kumar outside circuit house on Friday. The members accused the health officer of promoting corruption, saying that he failed to stop adulteration in the district.